Separatists planned and instigated Kashmir violence?

An intercepted conversation, available with govt, hints at their hands.Read comments

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PTI

New Delhi

July 8, 2010

UPDATED: July 9, 2010 16:24 IST

Security personnel trying to control violence in J&K. Photo: PTI

Involvement of hardline separatists in engineering some of the violence in the Kashmir valley is indicated by an intercepted conversation between two of them during which they discussed killing of at least 15 people in a procession near Srinagar on Wednesday.

A large procession had started in Budgam district on the outskirts of Srinagar in the evening and two senior office-bearers of the hardline Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani discussed how to utilise it to create casualties, according to the transcript of the conversation available with the Home Ministry.

According to the transcript, one of the office-bearers, Ghulam Ahmed Dar, was heard telling Shabir Ahmed Wani, another office-bearer, that a procession of nearly 20,000 people had started from Magam and was going towards Budgam.

Wani tells Dar, "You guys enjoy payments sitting at home and do nothing."

Dar, in his response, says, "The management of crowd becomes difficult later.....it gets difficult to manage the mob later."

Dar then ends up by saying, "At least 15 people should be martyred today."

However in the event, the police dispersed the procession with a mild cane charge and no untoward incident took place.

PDP, NC indulging in 'competitive communalism' in J&K: BJP

BJP on Thursdaty accused PDP and National Conference of indulging in "competitive communalism" in Kashmir, which led to the deteriorating law and order situation there and demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the problems in the trouble-torn areas of the state.

"The explosive situation in Kashmir valley, which has been deteriorating day by day, has reached the level witnessed during the Hazratbal controversy in 1963-64 when military had to play a role. The tense situation is the result of the politics of 'competitive communalism' by both PDP and NC," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

He alleged that the prime reason for failure to control the situation in the state was that the Congress-led government at the Centre had not taken any "timely action" and was supporting PDP and NC.

Javadekar insisted that this had served as an encouragement to the separatists and it was being "exploited to the hilt by their bosses in Pakistan."

"We demand that the Government of India call an all-party meeting to have threadbare discussions on the situation in Kashmir. It must take all parties into confidence regarding its intentions and plans to diffuse the situation in the valley," Javadekar said.

The main opposition also demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir government "discontinue" the rehabilitation package for surrendered stone-pelters in Kashmir.

"The separatists devised stone-pelting as an instrument of organised and orchestrated protest which is a 'low cost-high impact' technique. Instead of acting tough, the government declared a rehabilitation package for surrendered stone-pelters. Government should discontinue this package," Javadekar said.

The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that many youths got jobs out of this package and more than 200 shops were allotted for them.

"This resulted in a new reinforcement of unemployed youths in the stone-pelting brigade and the package became the gateway for a job," Javadekar alleged.

The opposition has charged the government of booking CRPF personnel for the death of a youth while letting go the young men who were photographed beating up a security personnel.

"Ali Mohammad Sagar, a minister in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government has defamed and cast aspersions on CRPF, which has demoralised the security force," he further claimed.

BJP has demanded that the UPA government should ensure law and order at any cost in Jammu and Kashmir and keep a tight vigil during the on-going Amarnath yatra.

"One of the goals of separatists is to create tension during the yatra period. Government must realise that people in the valley want more and more pilgrims to come for the yatra," Javadekar said.

Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai is understood to have told the state government that no one involved in violence should be spared and mischief mongers should put behind bars.

The state government has been told to strictly enforce curfew and restore law and order as soon as possible.

Army troops have been deployed mostly in three places outsides Srinagar city and are engaged only in patrolling the streets.

Sources said in the recent stone pelting incidents, more than 500 people, mostly security personnel, were injured in the valley.

Curfew clamped in more areas, may be eased on Friday

Curfew was clamped in more areas of the Kashmir Valley which witnessed stray attempts at violence as the Army carried out a flag march in Srinagar for the second day on Thursday.

Simultaneously, Centre sent out a tough message that "anti-nationals and vested interests" creating unrest in the valley would be dealt with sternly.

If the situation remains peaceful, authorities may relax curfew for a few hours on Friday and on Saturday to allow people to participate in religious prayers.